Broadcast distribution of content for storage on hardware protected optical storage media

• US 20030149989A1
• Filed: 09/16/2002
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zarbana Digital Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ochoa Optics LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hunter, Charles Eric, McNeil, Laurie, Hebrank, John H., Ballou, Bernard L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,960,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/89
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2007/25411 containing transition metal elements (Zn, Fe, Co, Ni, Pt)
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2007/25414 containing Group 13 elements (B, Al, Ga)
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2007/25417 containing Group 14 elements (C, Si, Ge, Sn)
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/24056 Light transmission layers lying on the light entrance side and being thinner than the substrate, e.g. specially adapted for Blu-ray® discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/2548 consisting essentially of inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/257 of layers having properties involved in recording or reproduction, e.g. optical interference layers or sensitising layers or dielectric layers, which are protecting the recording layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/21 Circular sheet or circular blank

Abstract

Methods and systems for content distribution are provided that include a broadcast transmitter for transmitting a signal that comprises content, a receiver for receiving the signal, and an optical disc recorder coupled to the receiver for recording the content to an optical disc, which may be an optically altered optical disc.

Claims

1. A content distribution system comprising:

a broadcast transmitter for transmitting a signal that comprises content;

a receiver for receiving the signal; and

an optical disc recorder coupled to the receiver for recording the content to an optically altered optical disc.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the content is selected from a group consisting of audio information, video information, textual information, and any combination thereof, and wherein the content is in a format selected from a group consisting of analog, digital, and any combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc comprises at least one reflective content layer, wherein the at least one layer comprises an amount of first data recorded in a first format and an amount of second data recorded in a second format.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc comprises:

a reflective content layer; and

a coating disposed on the layer having a first transmission at a wavelength of 635 nm that is less than the minimum transmission set forth in the ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the coating has a second transmission at a wavelength less than 635 nm that is greater than the first transmission.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical disc comprises:

an information-encoded layer; and

a protective coating, disposed on the encoded layer, having a thickness that is less than a minimum substrate thickness defined by ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical disc comprises:

an information-encoded layer; and

a protective coating, disposed on the encoded layer, having a transmissivity at a wavelength of 635 nm that is higher than the transmissivity defined by ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc comprises:

an information-encoded layer; and

a protective coating disposed on the encoded layer, wherein the coating has a dispersion that is lower than the dispersion defined by ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc comprises:

an entrance surface; and

an antireflective coating disposed on the entrance surface.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc comprises a coating having a thickness between about 1 atom and about 5 atoms.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc comprises a substantially UV-transparent coating.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the coating comprises a material selected from a group consisting of silicon dioxide, manganese fluoride, and any combination thereof.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc is “

near field”

optical disc.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc has an outer diameter that is substantially greater than an outer diameter for a disc defined by ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc has an inner diameter less than an inner diameter for a disc defined by ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc has a plurality of optically differentiated coatings.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc comprises a coating selected from a group consisting of indium tin oxide, TiN, nanocrystalline Sb-doped SnO₂, CeO2-TiO2, polyaniline (emeraldine base), polyaniline (emeraldine salt), polyaniline (leucoemeraldine base), poly(3-octylthiophene), poly(para-phenylene), poly(cyanoterephthalylidenes), poly(ortho-toluidine), amorphous hydrogenated C(a-C:

H), SnO₂;

Sb, Al-doped ZnO thin films, Kynar SL™

/Cp-41™

blends, polyester acrylate films cured with pinacalone, poly(vinylether) coating (UV-cured), poly(trishydroxyphenylethane), glass, crown glass, flint glass, phosphate crown, dense phosphate crown, borosilicate crown, zinc crown, barium crown, dense crown, crown flint, barium light flint, extra dense crown, extra light flint, barium flint, light flint, flint, dense barium flint, dense flint, short flint, and any combination thereof.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc comprises at least one coating comprising a material selected from a group consisting of calcium fluoride, synthetic fused silica, borosilicate crown glass, BaK1, BK7, LaSFN9 glass, pyrex™

, magnesium fluoride, crystal quartz, UV sapphire, strontium titinate, lithium fluoride, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, magnesium oxide, strontium fluoride, barium fluoride, zinc sulfide, sodium chloride, and any combination thereof.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc comprises a coating comprising an inorganic material having a band gap greater than about 4.5 eV.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the coating is selected from a group consisting of an oxide, a nitride, a fluoride, a carbide, and any combination thereof.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the coating is selected from a group consisting of BeO, B₂O₃, MgO, Al₂O₃, SiO₂, CaO, Cr₂O₃, GeO₂, SrO, Y₂O₃, ZrO₂, BaO₂, CeO₂, HfO₂, BN, AlN, Si₃N₄, MgF₂, CaF₂, SrF₂, BaF₂, C, SiC, and any combination thereof.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc comprises at least one coating on a data encoding surface, wherein the coating has a transmission greater than about 50% at at least one wavelength shorter than 635 nm.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the coating is substantially transmissive at a wavelength shorter than about 520 nm.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the coating is substantially transmissive at a wavelength shorter than about 400 nm.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc comprises at least one transmissive organic coating having a band gap greater than about 3.0 eV.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the coating is selected from a group consisting of poly(vinyl chloride), poly(methyl methacrylate), perfluorinated form of poly(methyl methacrylate), polystyrene, methyl methacrylate styrene, polycarbonate, cyclic olefin copolymer, and any combination thereof.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc comprises:

a reflective content layer;

an antireflection coating; and

a substrate between the antireflection coating and the reflective content layer.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the coating comprises magnesium fluoride having a thickness that is one-fourth of the wavelength of a light beam used to read the optical disc.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the coating comprises a plurality of antireflective layers to form a broadband antireflective coating, wherein the broadband antireflective coating has an average surface reflectance of less than about 0.5 percent across the visible band.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein the coating comprises a plurality of antireflection coatings to form a narrowband coating, wherein the narrowband coating has a surface reflectance of less than about 0.2 percent.

31. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical disc comprises a dielectric high-reflection coating comprising a stack of alternating layers of high and low refractive-index materials, wherein each of the layers has an optical thickness of about a quarter wavelength at the operating wavelength of a compatible optical disc reader.

32. The system of claim 1 wherein the coating is selected from a HEBBAR coating, a laser-line coating, a v-coating, and any combination thereof.

33. An optical disc assembly, wherein the assembly comprises:

an optical disc; and

a contamination control system selected from a group consisting of an air filtering system and a hermetically sealed cartridge in which the disc is mounted.

34. The optical disc assembly of claim 33 wherein the optical disc comprises a substrate and an information-encoded layer disposed on the substrate, but does not include a protective coating disposed on the information-encoded layer.

35. The optical disc assembly of claim 33 wherein the optical disc comprises an optically altered optical disc.

36. The disc of claim 33 wherein the cartridge has at least one window constructed of high transmissivity short wave or UV materials, wherein the at least one window is arranged to provide access to data recorded on the disc while it rotates within the cartridge.

37. The optical disc of claim 36 wherein the at least one window enables simultaneous reading of a track at different points on the disc, thereby reducing data rotational latency and enhancing data output bandwidth.

38. The optical disc of claim 37 further comprising a gas located within the cartridge, wherein the gas has a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure.

39. The optical disc of claim 38 further comprising a leak detection system to verify the pressure integrity of the cartridge.

53. The method of claim 33 wherein the broadcasting comprises a transmission only to unspecified recipients.

40. A content distribution system comprising:

a broadcast transmitter for transmitting content;

a plurality of set-top boxes, wherein each of said boxes comprises;

a receiver for receiving the content;

a user interface for providing a user of the system to select at least a portion of the content; and

an optical disc recorder for recording the portion to an optically altered optical disc.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein the content is selected from a group consisting of audio information, video information, textual information, and any combination thereof, and wherein the content is in a format selected from a group consisting of analog, digital, and any combination thereof.

42. A broadcast method for distributing content, wherein the method comprises:

broadcast transmitting a signal that comprises content;

receiving the signal; and

recording the content to an optically altered optical disc using an optical disc recorder.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the optical disc comprises at least one reflective content layer, wherein the at least one layer comprises an amount of first data recorded in a first format and an amount of second data recorded in a second format.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein the optical disc comprises:

a reflective content layer; and

an optically transmissive coating disposed on the layer having a first transmission at a wavelength of 635 nm that is substantially less than the minimum transmission set forth in the ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.

45. The method of claim 42 wherein the optical disc comprises:

an information-encoded layer; and

a protective coating, disposed on the encoded layer, having a thickness that is less than a minimum substrate thickness defined by ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.

46. The method of claim 42 wherein the optical disc comprises:

an information-encoded layer; and

a protective coating disposed on the encoded layer, wherein the coating has a dispersion that is lower than the dispersion defined by ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.

47. The method of claim 42 wherein the optical disc comprises a substantially transmissive coating selected from a group consisting of indium tin oxide, TiN, nanocrystalline Sb-doped SnO₂, CeO2-TiO2, polyaniline (emeraldine base), polyaniline (emeraldine salt), polyaniline (leucoemeraldine base), poly(3-octylthiophene), poly(para-phenylene), poly(cyanoterephthalylidenes), poly(ortho-toluidine), amorphous hydrogenated C(a-C:

H), SnO₂;

Sb, Al-doped ZnO thin films, Kynar SL™

/Cp-41™

blends, polyester acrylate films cured with pinacalone, poly(vinylether) coating (UV-cured), poly(trishydroxyphenylethane), glass, crown glass, flint glass, phosphate crown, dense phosphate crown, borosilicate crown, zinc crown, barium crown, dense crown, crown flint, barium light flint, extra dense crown, extra light flint, barium flint, light flint, flint, dense barium flint, dense flint, short flint, and any combination thereof.

48. The method of claim 42 wherein the optical disc comprises at least one coating comprising a material selected from a group consisting of calcium fluoride, synthetic fused silica, borosilicate crown glass, BaK1, BK7, LaSFN9 glass, pyrex™

, magnesium fluoride, crystal quartz, UV sapphire, strontium titinate, lithium fluoride, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, magnesium oxide, strontium fluoride, barium fluoride, zinc sulfide, sodium chloride, and any combination thereof.

49. The method of claim 42 wherein the optical disc comprises a substantially transmissive coating comprising an inorganic material having a band gap greater than about 4.5 eV.

50. The method of claim 42 wherein the optical disc comprises at least one transmissive organic coating having a band gap greater than about 3.0 eV.

51. The method of claim 42 wherein the optical disc comprises a dielectric high-reflection coating comprising a stack of alternating layers of high and low refractive-index materials, wherein each of the layers has an optical thickness of about a quarter wavelength at the operating wavelength of a compatible optical disc reader.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein the coating is selected from a HEBBAR coating, a laser-line coating, a v-coating, and any combination thereof.

54. An optically altered optical disc comprising:

a reflective content layer for storing content; and

an additional layer on which the reflective content layer is disposed, wherein the additional layer is selected from a group consisting of;

(1) an ultraviolet light transmissive layer, (2) an anti-reflective layer disposed on the reflective content layer, (3) an anti-reflective layer, (4) a visible light opaque layer, (5) an optical filter layer, (6) an inorganic material layer having a bandgap greater than about 4.5 eV, (7) a plurality of optically differentiated layers, (8) an organic layer having a band gap greater than about 3.0 eV, and (9) any combination thereof.

55. The disc of claim 54, wherein the content layer comprises data representative of content selected from a group consisting of audio information, video information, textual information, and any combination thereof, and wherein the content is in a format selected from a group consisting of analog, digital, and any combination thereof.

56. The disc of claim 54, wherein the reflective content layer comprises an amount of first data recorded in a first format and an amount of second data recorded in a second format.

57. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer has a second transmission at a wavelength less than 635 nm that is greater than the first transmission.

58. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer comprises a protective coating, disposed on the content layer, having a thickness that is less than a minimum substrate thickness defined by ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.

59. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer comprises a protective coating, disposed on the content layer, having a transmissivity that is higher than the transmissivity defined by ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.

60. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer comprises a protective coating disposed on the content layer, wherein the coating has a dispersion that is lower than the dispersion defined by ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.

61. The disc of claim 54, further comprising:

an entrance surface; and

wherein the additional layer comprises an antireflective layer disposed on the entrance surface.

62. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer comprises a layer having a thickness between about 1 atom and about 5 atoms.

63. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer comprises a substantially UV transparent coating.

64. The disc of claim 63, wherein the coating comprises a material selected from a group consisting of silicon dioxide, manganese fluoride, and any combination thereof.

65. The disc of claim 54, wherein the optical disc is “

near field”

optical disc.

66. The disc of claim 54, wherein the optical disc has an outer diameter that is substantially greater than an outer diameter for a disc defined by ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.

67. The disc of claim 54, wherein the optical disc has an inner diameter less than an inner diameter for a disc defined by ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.

68. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer comprises a plurality of optically differentiated coatings.

69. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer comprises a substantially transmissive layer selected from a group consisting of indium tin oxide, TiN, nanocrystalline Sb-doped SnO₂, CeO2-TiO2, polyaniline (emeraldine base), polyaniline (emeraldine salt), polyaniline (leucoemeraldine base), poly(3-octylthiophene), poly(para-phenylene), poly(cyanoterephthalylidenes), poly(ortho-toluidine), amorphous hydrogenated C(a-C:

H), SnO₂;

Sb, Al-doped ZnO thin films, Kynar SL™

/Cp-41™

blends, polyester acrylate films cured with pinacalone, poly(vinylether) coating (UV-cured), poly(trishydroxyphenylethane), glass, crown glass, flint glass, phosphate crown, dense phosphate crown, borosilicate crown, zinc crown, barium crown, dense crown, crown flint, barium light flint, extra dense crown, extra light flint, barium flint, light flint, flint, dense barium flint, dense flint, short flint, and any combination thereof.

70. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of calcium fluoride, synthetic fused silica, borosilicate crown glass, BaK1, BK7, LaSFN9 glass, pyrex™

, magnesium fluoride, crystal quartz, UV sapphire, strontium titinate, lithium fluoride, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, magnesium oxide, strontium fluoride, barium fluoride, zinc sulfide, sodium chloride, and any combination thereof.

71. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer comprises a substantially transmissive layer comprising an inorganic material having a band gap greater than about 4.5 eV.

72. The disc of claim 71, wherein the substantially transmissive layer is selected from a group consisting of an oxide, a nitride, a fluoride, a carbide, and any combination thereof.

73. The disc of claim 72, wherein the substantially transmissive layer is selected from a group consisting of BeO, B₂O₃, MgO, Al₂O₃, SiO₂, CaO, Cr₂O₃, GeO₂, SrO, Y₂O₃, ZrO₂, BaO₂, CeO₂, HfO₂, BN, AlN, Si₃N₄, MgF₂, CaF₂, SrF₂, BaF₂, C, SiC, and any combination thereof.

74. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer comprises at least one transmissive layer on a data encoding surface, wherein the transmissive layer is substantially transmissive at a wavelength shorter than 635 nm.

75. The disc of claim 74, wherein the transmissive layer is substantially transmissive at a wavelength shorter than about 520 nm.

76. The disc of claim 74, wherein the transmissive layer is substantially transmissive at a wavelength shorter than about 400 nm.

77. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer comprises at least one transmissive organic layer having a band gap greater than about 3.0 eV.

78. The disc of claim 77, wherein the organic layer is selected from a group consisting of poly(vinyl chloride), poly(methyl methacrylate), perfluorinated form of poly(methyl methacrylate), polystyrene, methyl methacrylate styrene, polycarbonate, cyclic olefin copolymer, and any combination thereof.

79. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer comprises:

an antireflection coating; and

a substrate between the antireflection coating and the reflective content layer.

80. The disc of claim 79, wherein the antireflection coating comprises magnesium fluoride having a thickness that is one-fourth of the wavelength of a light beam used to read the optical disc.

81. The disc of claim 79 wherein the antireflection coating comprises a plurality of antireflective layers to form a broadband antireflective coating, wherein the broadband antireflective coating has an average surface reflectance of less than about 0.5 percent across the visible band.

82. The disc of claim 79, wherein the antireflection coating comprises a plurality of antireflection coatings to form a narrowband filter coating, wherein the narrowband coating has a surface reflectance of less than about 0.2 percent.

83. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer comprises a dielectric high-reflection layer comprising a stack of alternating layers of high and low refractive-index materials, wherein each of the layers has an optical thickness of about a quarter wavelength at the operating wavelength of a compatible optical disc reader.

84. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer is selected from a HEBBAR coating, a laser-line coating, a v-coating, and any combination thereof.

85. The disc of claim 54, wherein the additional layer has a first transmission at a wavelength of 635 nm that is substantially less than the minimum transmission set forth in the ECMA-267 Standard, 3rd edition, April 2001.